WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1928, Page 8

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

The annual report of the Police Department shows that there has been a slight increase in crime. The figures are by no means alarming, however, and when the incidence of crime in other countries is considered New Zealand has every reason to congratulate itself on its comparative freedom from serious menace in this respect.— Auckland “Sun.” ,

Members of Parliament, when they were discussing, the qualifications of operators on the boats at present carrying wireless, seem to have missed, the great weakness in the wireless regulations at sea. It is a . very desperate thing, it is true, that any ■teamship company should hoodwink the Government by having a cheap yireless set and nobody who can send nessages, and such an evasion of the •egulatious should ibe visited by the ■>eiiviest penalties. Our complaint with the regulations is that they are not comprehensive enough.—Christjhureh “Star.”

The Government is satisfied that the Immigration Restriction Act of 1.920 affords all the safeguards that are necessary to preserve the country against this danger. That Act specifically restricts the unqualified right of settlement in New Zealand to personsof British birth and parentage. It expressly provides that a person shall ;pt be deemed to be of British birth and parentage by reason of the naturalisation of himself or of his parents or of either of them. : The existence of this legislation seems to meet adeinately the objection expressed by Mr E. P. Lee and other members to the Bill in terms of which New Zealand, ast among the Dominions, will accept the principle that the issue of a certificate of naturalisation in any part of the Empire will confer the status >f a British subject- throughout the mtire Empire. It is no small matter that the principle of a Britannic citizenship' is implied in the Bill. — ‘Otago Daily Thuds.”

While committee work and the go:mg into- committee of a full body are i necessary part of political machinery, local and .national, and perhaps ts most effective working part, the tendency of local bodies to do, more vnd more work jin committee is o'l- - Other means, when possible. should he found of choking off the too- voluble and time-wasting speakers, and of expediting business. The golden democratic rule is that the pub'ic should be admitted to the fullest audience and information of its own affairs, and'this is a rule to which l.bridgement of publicity must be on a very carefully calculated- and a ed exception,—Christchurch

It would be a bold thing to say that the day is near when there will be no more eold. This may be ventured for the time must shortly come in New Zealand when there shall be no more gold. However, her people are well prepared to carry on. They have industries on every hand to fully occupy all capital and labour available. Their own energies are tlie best insurance for national progress. Gold, after all, is but the symbol of wealth. The wealth of any country is latent in the industry of the people, and their engrained resourcefulness. The national industries which are so prominent to-day have been possible, very largely, because of tlie lives, work, and character of the men who were lured to the early colony by the report ot gold, and who were splendid specimens of men of capacity, ' endurance, and persistency. These are great national assets when they can be found in a neople. It is just these characteristics which have pulled the Dominion round a rather ugly corner, and have put it, once again, upon the map of aggressive progress.—“ Poverty Bay Herald.”

• The deputation of ministers who waited on the Mayor of Christchurch to protest against the proposed arrival of the aeroplane Southern Cross on Sunday has been the most widely discussed topic in the last few days. Nearly everyone has been shocked or angered by the speeches of the ministers, and still more the remarks of the Mayor and his dispatch of a reproving cable message to Mr Kingsford Smith. Yet the city must have known that it was taking a risk in electing a Socialist who was known to be temperamental and rather arrogant. Cities often suffer for ?the mistakes fo those who rule them. Chicago, for instance, has had to endure much hostile criticism for the faults of its Mayor, “Big. Bill” Thompson. Our own Mayor is making a name for the city which cannot be pleasing to the citizens. This can be remedied by the exercise of more care on the citizens’ part when they are called upon to choose a Mayor at the next election. In the meantime we must bear the galling comments of outside observers as best we may.—Christchurch “Press.”

The Wnitomo branch of the Labour Party has by resolution dissociated itself from the communication sent to the “London Daily Herald,” alleging that there are hundreds of immigrants starving in New Zealand. It is the public opinion expressed itself strongly against such mischievous propaganda, which, like the story of “starving immigrants,” is not easily overtaken once ft is started.—“ New Zealand Herald.”

Here, in New Zealand, the Government confidently asserts the welcome truth at last that the Dominion has turned the corner of depression, while the Labour Party and the Nationalists in Parliament are so certain about it that they joined hands with each other in a new brotherhood, and voted for an increase in the salaries of public servants. The Government’s optimism did not rise to the foolish height of agreeing to buy about 00,000 votes at the expense of the overburdened taxpayer. It was an unpopular thing fertile Reform Government to do within the shadow of a general election; bait it wiis the right tiling to do.”— Uhristcliurch “Sun.”

Protection for native birds was the keynote of the president’s speech at die opening of a conference of the New Zealand Acclimatisation Societies. His statement that they are holding their own perhaps needs some modification; but it is encouraging, and still more so is the fact lie mentions that f “in some cases” they are “on the increase.” . . More might be made of the island sanctuaries, of which it appears that only two are in charge of caretakers. Yet the mainland, its natural and its artificial hush, might be made more kindly to its native birds, where the tramper, the hush-lover and bird-lover, can see and hear them, than now.—Christchurch “.Sun.”

We hope that we shall .hear no more complaints about the administration of Samoa, now that the Council of the League of Nations has accepted the report of the Mandates Committee, and recommended that it be given publicity ini New Zealand and Samoa. It is fortunate that the matter, has been dealt with before the -election, for we might have seen the sorry spectacle of the mandate made a matter of party politics in every speech of every Labour lhember throughout the Dominion during the election campaign. The decision of the Council of the League has spiked this gun, which promised to be one of the party’s chief weapons.—“Hawke’s Bay Herald.”

Very few people recognised bow much the fancy for loose forward play in New Zealand, by Rugby administrators, selectors, players, aiid public, had lessened the capacity of this conntry’s forwards to endure a great deal of heavy work in close formation. The pendulum of taste has been allowed to swing a little too far toward loose forward play, in this Dominion, and particularly toward that type of play in which the forwards rely on handling the ball, instead of dribbling it. So the All Blac-k forwards had to build up power to endure a type of game that long since had gone out of fashion in their own country.-—Christchurch “Sun.”

Difficulties of an alarming nature can he conjured up as soon as one considers the effects of regional Daylight Saving under Mr Sidey’s Optional Bill, but most, if not all, of these will be surmounted in actual practice. The idea is new to New Zealand because this country has been concerned with a national scheme, and has not paused to consider any alternatives. One limitation which the law should impose, however, is the period and extent of the change. Those regions adopting - daylight saving should have no choice of the number of .months in which they propose to apply it. Variation on this point will involve as many unnecessary confusions as would variations in the extent to which the clock is moved.— “Southland Times.”

In view of the varied political opinions held by members of the Farmers’ Union, it would be manifestly fatal to attempt to harness the conflicting political opinions of members to tlie wheels of any particular party. Hence the futility of the Country Party, nonactive in one or two electorates in the North Island, in its attempt to ride into the House with a fair representation, on the hacks of the members of the Farmers’ Union. Such a course would undermine the usefulness of tlie Union, and result in the total eclipse of those responsible. Altogether, in view of the activities of the principal parties, to say nothing of Mr Poison’s efforts to keep in the limelight and the quiet but steady organising work going on in all parts of the country, it may be expected that a very much keener interest will Ibe shown in political affairs before many days have pussed over.—“Timaru Herald.”